Britain's most notorious spider is reportedly migrating into our bedrooms.

False widow spiders often flock to the warmest and driest room of the house.

Homes in the warmer south of England are more likely to house the spider.

Mild weather has led to soaring numbers of the species, which has a bite that can be at least as painful as a bee sting.

The spiders tend to lurk in toilets, kitchens, lofts, garages and conservatories, but prefer warm rooms where windows are often left open - like bedrooms.

False Widow spider

Pest management consultant Clive Boase said conditions are ideal for the spiders over the coming weeks, but says their numbers are unknown.

Clive said: "Nobody has any idea how many false widows there are - they are a small insect, so there potentially could be hundreds of thousands or even millions.

"We've had a reasonably warm year with very few cold snaps and no particularly extended periods of either dry or wet weather.

"That has led to more invertebrates, such as flies, to feed on and means false widows, as well as many other species of spiders, have been able to continue their development throughout the summer.

"Sightings of spiders often peak from September as males of many species reach adulthood and venture into homes in search of a mate, but we could be seeing a lot more of them than normal over the next month or two."

The false widow has long been established in the southern counties but has also started to spread further around the country.

Clive added: "They tend to stay near structures outside, but will climb through an open window if one is available.

"If you were to leave a bedroom window open, they could come in from the outside."

He said the gaping wounds we often see in the media are NOT the result of spider bites, but of secondary bacterial infections, often after an insect bite, a splinter or even scratching a spot with a dirty fingernail.

He adds: "The false widow spider ( Steatoda nobilis ) is usually blamed for alleged spider bites, but on most occasions/without evidence.

"People die each year from wasp and bee stings or dog bites.

It's important to realise no one has died from a British spider bite."